The Iola register., 1887-01-14


nodded by the grip of her hand ant
darting like missile. II believed il
you, and see how you've treated met
my darling girlw
'.Don't you come around in my sigh
any more. And go marry somebod,
that won't cause any dropping. cal
stand it,
81 believe you can," he sneered.
..Yes, indeed; I can stand it So good
bye to you"
Saying which, Beetrus turned nnt
scudded of, through Spanish needles
and boggy spots, until his first half
uttered remOnstrance had been fol
some time changed into language O.
another sort. 1t seemed long before
Bectrus found a log on which she coult
draw herself, face downward, with hel
arms stretched beyond her head. The
White Dove moved of from Wabasf
Landing two hours behind her ap
pointed time. She was . dirty little
boat, carrying miscellaneous freight
but among the barrels on the after
deck some hard-favored and much
whitfield chairs had been placed fol
Beetrus and her mother.
The young girl herself stood by the
rope which served for railing, and saw
her own heartache color all those fail
distances. Downy swells of remote
banks and bold juts of rock were copied
in the river. SO rufileless did it seem to
lie even when the strong current was
moving. A blue heron stood at the
water edge meditating, with one foot
planted on sand and the other tucked
up invisibly. 1t slightly spread its
mighty wings, shook them, and folded
them again to place. without appearing
to break the trance of its downward
stare. When the White Dove churned
along. shadows stretched upon the
Wabash. Now it was very late after
noon, and now it threatened to be even
ing, with hint that by and by it would
be night, when you might expect the
woods to make deep black borders
along the river, and the canopy of stars
to look smcared by the little steamers
smoke-stack.
When Beetrus was pale and tired she
turned and leaned against her mother
an ample, indulgent woman, vino
nevertheless had one bristling mole
upon the right side of her face. She
broke the tacit silence in which they
had begun their journey by declaring:
"Ma, l love YOU"
"You don't often put body out tell
ing them that" responded Mrs. Jen-
kins, uttering gratified laugh.
"Ikeep up a dreadful loving. though ~
said Beetrus, casting sidewise at the
river black eyes which swan in waters
of their own.
YOU'RE my baby" said her mother.
patting the slim hand fondling her
neck. There's plenty of pretty young
men in the world, but there's only one
old mother"
II don't care any thing about the
young men," said Beetrus, with strong
scorn. 81 was thinking good while
in the woods to-day, coming from the
post-office, and I've made up my rlind
never to get married."
You'll turn around often enough
before the time comes"
II never will," emphasized Beetrus,
"We'll be two nice old ladies together,
ma. and neither of us will get married. "
II won't, for a sure thing" laughed
her mother. "Bu: you'll only be mid
dle-aged when Tn ready to totter."
"Yes, that's so," said Beetrus. sadly.
"And then if one would die and leave
the other"
"Now, now. don't You fret, lovey.
I've had considerable trouble and ex-
perience, and if don't sigh round, you
needn't. Who's, that nice-lOoking man
that keeps looking back this way?'
Beetrus had been facing down river,
with her mind completely closed to any
moving figures on deck. She looked
back over her shoulder.
"Why, it's''-she exclaimed, swal-
lowing her breath with a gasp-"it's
Mr.. POundstone."
'That correspondent of yours?" said
Mrs. jenkins, nodding her head, and
inspecting him sincerely with such
thoroughness as intervening barrels
permitted.
Beetrus' ears rang. She had, how
ever. that instructive Western courage
which sometimes takes the place of dis
ciplincd sclf-contrOl; so by no other clew
than the deepening fire of her cheeks
and eyes did she give Mr.. Poundstone
any knowledge of the disturbance he
brought her when he climbed a passage
over impediments and placed himself
in the party. His manner was subdued,
even becomingly humble and concili-
atory.
INA, this is Mr.. Poundstone," said
Beetrus, secretly triumphant in being
free from the subservience which yes
terday would have made her say: '.Mr.
PoundstOne, this is my mother"
She did not add to her unconsidered
formula now, but allowed him to lift
his hat and bow over her mother S
hand.
I'm glad to meet you. Mrs. Jenk-
ins, said he. 81 want to make friends
with you, and get You to convince your
daughter Tn not such bad fellow as I
look"
''YOu don't look like bad fellow, "
she responded, heartily.
81 didn't know you were going up on
the boat" said Beetrus. regarding with
gentle Indifference the brim of his hat,
after he renlaced il